History of Reiss Structural and Architectural Products, LLC

In 1886, the Reiss family left Germany to travel to the United States in hopes of beginning their life anew. After settling in Indianapolis, they opened the Reiss Blacksmith and Repair Shop at 3739 N. Illinois Street. The shop was a small wooden building full of wagon pieces and horse equipment. You could hear horses snorting as they waited out front to be shoed standing next to a freshly-assembled wagon or two.

Frank’s father was working on the shop’s last wagon when he died in 1934, leaving the shop to his son, Frank. Frank continued blacksmithing in the shop, teaching his young son, Paul, how to forge fireplace tools and other small projects.

Paul spent his adolescence growing up in the shop before entering the Army during WWII. After the war, Paul briefly studied at Purdue before deciding to return home in 1948 and go into business with his father.

Frank continued blacksmithing at customer’s homes as Paul began expanding the shop by adding welding services. Soon after, Frank approached his 21-year-old son and asked Paul to take over.

After the retirement of Frank Reiss, the shop was renamed Reiss Ornamental and Structural Products and Paul continued expanding the shop by hiring and training new employees to “join the family.” Many of those employees, along with some of their children, are still employees today.

For 53 years, Paul Reiss continued growing his extended family and increasing the shop’s breadth of services to include steel fabrication, ornamental iron work, restoration, and crane services.

In 2013, Paul and his wife were approached by the Surinaks about selling. Paul wasn’t ready. Over a three-year period, the Surinaks continued negotiating the purchase. Eventually, Paul got to know the Surinaks and decided they could give the business a new set of eyes and build on what his family had created.

In late 2015, Paul sold to the Surinaks, who changed the name to Reiss Structural and Architectual Products, LLC and presently run the shop with the same skilled employees the Reiss family hired and trained.

The original Reiss Blacksmith shop, around the turn of the century. Our current building is located on the same spot on Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN.